Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Staff

Looking for ways to get your staff to be more productive? As a manager or business owner, you’re aware that your employees mean everything to your company. When hiring them, you took your time in putting together a team of professionals with the necessary skill set to take your business to new heights. When they’re happy, engaged, and at their best, they will work diligently to help you meet those goals.

When morale is down or the working environment is poor, however, your staff can quickly become disgruntled, uninspired, and stressed. This leads to a reduction in productivity, an increase in turnovers, and a decrease in quality, customer service, and sales. To prevent the following from happening, it is necessary for managers to continually invest in the comfort and happiness of their staff. Below are a few suggestions:

Create a Pleasant and Functional Workspace

Whether your employees work in cubicles, offices, an open space, or at a workstation, their workspace should be accommodating. It can be hard to put forth your best efforts when the space you’ve been provided to work in isn’t comfortable, let alone functional. Take a walkthrough of your staffs’ areas to determine what you can improve. Could they benefit from office chairs with armrests and cushions? Would standing desks be more suitable? Do they have all the office supplies they need? Is the technology up to date and easy to use? You can also consider additional features like a break room, refreshments, or open spaces where the staff is encouraged to collaborate.

Interoffice Competitions

There is nothing like a little friendly competition to get your staff encouraged to perform their best. Interoffice competitions are commonly used within large and small companies to inspire teamwork, improve morale, and increase productivity. You could host a sporting event where you divide your staff into teams to compete. You might also have a competition with your sales department to see who can land the most leads. Trophies are great to offer an incentive. There’s something about seeing your name engraved on a trophy that makes you feel complete and motivated.

Career Development Opportunities

One of the most common complaints you hear from unhappy employees (outside of terrible pay and benefits) is the lack of room for advancement or resources to do so. Your staff has career goals and things they want to accomplish in life. Making them feel as though their growth is being stunted can force them to look for other jobs. A better approach would be to offer them the opportunity to evolve as an employee. Training, educational courses, and even paid courses towards a college degree can help to position your staff for promotions as they become available. It also sends the message that you care about their goals which, in turn, motivates them to care about yours.

Bonuses

Nothing says work harder like the opportunity to receive extra cash. If your budget allows, you can schedule to offer periodic bonuses to your staff. You can offer them once a year like during the holidays or you can tie it to their performance and offer bonuses for employees who get good evaluations from their supervisors. Either way, they’ll be glad to get the extra money and will work hard for it every chance they can.

Better Work/Life Balance

Finding a balance between your career and your personal life is difficult. When a person feels as if their job is getting in the way of them being able to be there for their families, it can become stressful and lead to a decline in productivity. You can meet them halfway by offering opportunities for them to manage both. Some suggestions might include letting them work a flexible schedule, offering Fridays off during the summer, allowing staff to work remotely on occasion, scholarships for college-bound teens, discounts on childcare services, or even hosting company events where the family is involved.

You can have a great business plan, offer the best products and services, and advertise the best prices in the industry, but you don’t have anything if you don’t have a highly productive workforce. Keeping your employees engaged, comfortable, and happy is ultimately what helps to improve and maintain productivity in the office. If getting the most from your employees has been a struggle for you, the above-mentioned ideas should give you some inspiration.